Tie plate



June 19, 1928.

R. G. GLASS ET AL TIE PLATE Filed Aug. 26, 1926 ffy- 2g 26476; J9 i Patented June 19, 1928.

UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT GIBSON GLASS A ND ORRIN HUGH BAKER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIE PLATE.

Application -led August 26, 1926. Serial No. 131,681.

Our invention relates to a tie plate and has for its primary object the provision of a tie plate which is light in weightrwhich is easily and cheaply rolled, and which has the metal so distributed that maximum strength is secured with a minimum amount of metal.

Another and further object of our invention is the provision of a tie plate having its greatest thickness of metal in a verticaldirection through the tie plate at the points underneath the marginal edges of fthe rail base where the maximum amount of weight s carried by the tie plate, without abruptly increasing the thickness of the tie plate at these points which, during rolling of the tie plate, is apt to produce a fracture linel resulting in the breakage of the plate, thus producing a load sustaining area which is wide enough to withstand the vertical load and also suliciently strong to meet the resultant lateral thrust of the train wheels.

Another and further object of our inven tion is the provision of atie plate having its thickest portions underneath .the marginal edge of the rail base with the metal so fashioned or rolled that the tie plate gradually increases in thickness from points of material distance on each side of the bearing pointof the tie plate so that a tie plate is formed having great strength and bearing capacity but without a line of crystallization being formed through the metal during the process of rolling thereby rendering the tie plate less liable to break in service.

Another and further object of our invention is the provision of a t1e plate somewhat similar to a truss struct-ure so that an arch is formed on the bottom of the tie plate with the tie late materially reduced in thick. ness at t e 'cent-ral portion thereof, thus doing away with the excess of metal in the middle of the tie late Where less Weight is borne by the tie p ate and forming in effect a truss in which the loadbearing portions of the tie plate are directly underneath the marginal edges of the rails.

Another and further object of our invention is the provision of a tie plate having the usual at upper rail bearing surface and having on the under side thereof Vtwo substantially wide tie engaging surfaces extendmg in a direction parallel to the rail base and having a slightly arched structure so that the tie plate is depressed into the fibres of the wood without cutting the libres or destroying them and yet engaging the tie so that slippage of the plate upon the tie is avoided and any movement relative to the tie plate and tie being overcome, it being necessary in tie plate construction to so fasten the tie plates upon the ties that the tie plates are held integral with the tie as nearly as y cheapening the cost of the tie plate to the user.

These and other objects of our invention will be more fully and better understood by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings and in which Figure 1 is an end. elevational view of our improved tie plate; and i Figure 2 is a bottom plan view improved tie plate.

The tie plate 10 is shown having the usual rail bearing surface 11 on the -upperside of our thereof and the usual rail abutting shoulder 12, with spike openin 13, 13 therein, through which the usua rail s ikes are inserted extending through the tie plate and into engagement with the railway tie.

The under ortie, engaging surface of the plate 10 is made up of a. plurality of arcuate shaped portions. which do not merge into each other, but are separated from each other either by the tie engaging ribs and by a plane surface joining the two arcuate sur; s

faces at the central art of the rail bearing portion of the tie p ate; Extending transversely of the plate are a pair of spaced tie engaging ribs 14 and. 15, the centers of los 17 in the plate, these dimensions being the proper ones for a tie plate of the usual length, viz, 101/2 inches, and for other plates of approximately the same length.

Also beginning at 19 on the inner side of and adjacent the ribl is an arcuate, surface 20 extending towards the other surface 18 and terminating at 21, this surface being similar to the surface 18 and formed on an arc of a circle 30 inches in radius from a center in the vertical plane of the center of the rail bearing portion of the tie plate or in vertical alignment with the point 21 on the under side of the tie,y plate. Between the points 17 and 21 is ahorizontal portion 22 which connects the arcuate surfaces 18 and 20. Onthe outer side of the rib 14 at 23 an arcuate surface 24 begins and extends approximately to the end of the plate 10, this surface also being formed on a 30 inch radius from a center approximately in vertical alignment withthe end of thetie plate 10. On lthe outer edge ofthe rib 15 at 25, an arcuate surface 26 begins and extends to the point 2 7 of the plate from which point to the outer end of the plate a flat surface 28 is formed. The arcuate surface 26 also conforms to the arc of a circle'formed with a 30 inch radius having a. center in lvertical alignment l-with the point 27 of the under surface of the tie plate. These various arcuate sectionsof the tie Plate form the tie engaging surfaces and are comparatively wide and -form a. tie engaging surface approximately 2 inches in width on each side of the ribs 14 and 15 in the ordinary 10% inch tie plate. Throughout the entire length of the tie plate there is no abrupt changing in the thickness of thel metal ofwhich the plate is formed and in lthe formationof the arcuate.

surfaces the lmetal is not compressed at any one particular point more than at another or having lthe metal rolled into a material increase in the thickness of a late at any particular point so that un er constant pounding in service the plate is apt to weaken and crystallize and thereby vbreak at one A of these crystallization points. v

The flat portion of the plate22 is formed for the purpose of insuring that the under surface of the plate is in physical contact with the tie throughout the entire under surface thereof, in order that moisture may not collect under the plate resulting in a rotting of the tie. If the plate were arched at the center thereof, it might also remain out of contact with the tie and allow moisture tu collect, and also because it is subjected to constant poundings,l as the trains pass over tll plate, a fracture of the plate might res t.

The arcuate portions of the plate are pre1'- erably formed on a thirty inch radius in a tie plate of usual standard length namely lOl/2 inches. This curvature of the surface is best as it slightly ,compresses the libres of the tie without breaking them, and therefore grips the tie without movement between the tie plate and the tie, thereby resulting in less wear and damage to the tie and providing a combination wherein the movement y is between the tie plate and the base of the rail.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the tie plate is formed with its thinnest portion in the middle thereof and at the outer marginal edges of the plate where it is not essential that the plate contain s0 much metal, and that the thickest portions of the plate, in vertical planes through the centers of the ribs 14 and 15, underneath the marginal edges of the rail base withthe surfaces on each side thereof formed in arcs of a circle without an abrupt thickening of the tie plate at any particular g5 place and that the tie plate is thus formed in the forni of a truss, thereby adding mate rially to the strength of the tie plate and affording ample strength of long life to the tie 'plate in service and further allowing the tie plate to be rolled in a longitudinal direction which can thereafter be sheared to suitable lengths without the necessity of machine work or other milling operations which add to the cost of the'tie plate.

While we have described more or less precisely the details of construction, we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves thereto, as we contemplate changes in form and the proportion of parts andthe substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient without depart-- ing from the spirit or scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. A tie plate having an upper rail bearing surface and a rail abutting shoulder thereon and having a series of arcuate surfaces on the under surface, one pair of said surfaces being separated by a flat bearing surface and other surfaces having tie engaging ribs placed therebetween.

2. tie plate having an upper rail bearing surface having a rail abutting shoulder thereon and having a lower tie engaging surface composed of a` lurality of arcuate shaped portions forme on approximately a 30 inch radius and havingtie engaging ortions between each of said arcuate sur# aces.

3. A tie plate having an upper rail bearing each pair commencing adacent said ribs and surface havinva transversely extending rail extendin outward there om. abutting shoud'er thereon, and having two Sign at Chicago, Illinois, this 5th day l0 pairs of arcuate shapedl tie en a 'ng surof August, 1926. 5 faces on the under slde of sai p ate, and having a pair of transversely extending ribs ROBERT GIBSON GLASS. formed on said plate, lthe arcuate surfaces of ORR'IN HUGH BAKER. 

